Tuesday, September 30, 2014

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Author:

Twelve
different authors contributed to this novel, including Pals past and present,
Ryan Bracha and Keith Nixon, along with ten others. Most of the others have had
their solo work reviewed here with three of these (Les Edgerton, Richard
Godwin, and Gerard Brennan) receiving nominations in the 2014 BigAl’s Books and
Pals Readers’ Choice Awards. In addition to those already mentioned, contributions were
also made by Paul D Brazill, Craig Furchtenicht, Allen Miles, Darren Sant, Gareth
Spark, Martin Stanley, and Mark Wilson.

Description:

“At St.
David's asylum for the criminally insane there are twelve residents. They call
us that. Not inmates.

We all have
a favourite colour. A favourite member of staff. A favourite method of
receiving torture for the purposes of science.

We all have
our reasons for being here. Our stories. Our tales.

Why don't
you come and hear them?

Twelve Mad
Men is a groundbreaking literary collaboration. A novel which has a series of
stories woven into the narrative, and featuring the finest independent authors
from across the globe.”

Appraisal:

Run off to
Amazon (unless you’re there already), click the look inside for this book, and
read Ryan Bracha’s introduction. If the concept appeals to you, the book
should, too. For the tl;dr crowd (that’s “too long; didn’t read, for the
uninitiated), the concept is each of the contributors imagined they were
“residents” at St. David's Asylum for the Criminally Insane, and tell the story
of how they got there. As Bracha says in the introduction, it is a chance for
each to “showcase their most depraved sides.” Then Bracha added words of his
own between each contribution to weave a coherent whole.

It turned
out better than I’d have guessed possible. Assuming depraved and (again
borrowing from Bracha’s intro) “violent, sweary, funny, and filthy” are your
thing. (Aren’t they everyone’s?) That each author’s character used their own
name added to the humor as I, for example, imagined Keith Nixon as an oil
painting crazy with a talent for making psychiatrists throw up their hands in
frustration or Mark Wilson as a gender-confused patient with an addiction to
what in times past was euphemistically called “self-abuse” (often accompanied
by warnings of impending blindness). Not for the faint of heart, but a must
read for horror fans interested in something different.

FYI:

Among the
things we normally mention here are if a particular flavor (or flavour) of
English is used (the authors are from both the US and UK and this is reflected
in word usage, slang, and possibly spelling conventions), whether there is
sexual content (yup), adult language (yes, yes, OH YES), or anything else that
might rile up, offend, or nauseate some people (you betcha). Sensitive types, this
book’s not for you.

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Author:

Laura M.
Kolar is a self-declared hopeless romantic who lives with her husband and
daughter in Michigan.
To learn more visit her website.

Description:

“The Captive Art Series is a trilogy set
in an art academy in England,
where many of the students have some very interesting and unique talents. The
first book, Canvas Bound, follows
sixteen-year-old Libby Tanner, whose art comes to life. Her painted skies turn
from day to night, leaves rustle on trees, and every so often a mystery boy
appears.

While
attending Aldridge, Libby meets charming Brent Henderson, a performing arts
student who showers her with attention. But his rival, gorgeous Dean James, is
the one who occupies her mind…

Libby soon
learns there’s more to both Brent and Dean than she ever imagined. In order to
save her future, and the boy who’s captured her heart, she must unlock the
secrets behind her art by entering the most dangerous place of all…the world
within her paintings.

But once
she steps into the canvas, she risks being trapped forever.”

Appraisal:

Olivia
Tanner has an unusual artistic talent, as do all the students enrolled in England’s AldridgeArtAcademy. Libby, as she
likes to be called, is a conservative but smart, independent, and strong-willed
girl. She is a well developed protagonist and this story is told through her
eyes. Although she would rather stay in her room and paint, Travis, her student
liaison, has also taken it upon himself to be
her social director and insists she participate in the schools activities. I LOVED his character, he is the big brother
she never had growing up and their personalities played off each other well. I
found the tension and drama drove the plot at a nice steady pace throughout the
story, but towards the end I found it hard to put the book down.

Ms. Kolar
handled her flawed characters well expressing their insecurities as well as
their strengths in a believable way. I loved the way she compared nature verses
nurture in the lives of Dean, Ryan, and Brent. As Libby starts to listen to her
intuition she is able to see her classmates as they really are and read their
true intent. It was enlightening to her as she realized that she was the only
one who came from a safe and stable background. The balances of evil intentions
are redefined as misguided attempts to gain self worth may be a little naïve,
but this is a young adult story and I would like to see this aspect further
explored as this trilogy continues.

This is a
captivating story that will tug at your heart-strings and awe your senses as
these young adults find their way around their lives and learn to control their
abilities in a productive/positive way. These are not magical abilities as much
as they are psychic connections with their chosen art form. I found the topic
fascinating and I am sure you will also.

Format/Typo Issues:

I read an advanced review copy and cannot comment on this section.
Although, I will say Red Adept Publishing produces extremely clean books.

You all
know the fable about race between The Tortoise and the Hare. But do you know
what happened before the big race?

Appraisal:

As I’ll
sometimes do with children’s books, I drafted The Princess, my eleven year-old
granddaughter, for her input to assist with my review. Her feedback was mixed.

She called
it an “interesting story,” but gave it an overall grade of C+. The reason she
gave for not giving it a higher grade was that she thought it was “missing some
stuff.” Explaining further she said it
needed “little topics supporting the big topic” or “more little adventures
supporting the big one.” I interpreted that to mean, at least for her, the
story was too one dimensional and needed a little more meat.

However,
The Princess also had no trouble understanding the point of the story. She gave
me a summary of the plot and said it was “a book with a moral.” She explained
the lessons to be learned as “it takes practice and study to get good,”
continuing to say that “even little changes can make a big difference,” and
that a person should “make goals.”

Based on
the feedback from The Princess and reading of Tommy’s story myself, I’d
recommend this as a good book for fourth graders (plus or minus a year
depending on the individual) and a story a parent might consider reading to a
younger child. If the child isn’t familiar with Aesop’s fable of The Tortoise
and the Hare, you might follow up with that story the next night.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

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Author:

Growing up on a Missouri farm, David Dalglish normally writes fantasy. This includes two series, the Shadowdance Triology and the five volume Half-Orc series. For more on Dalglish, visit his web site.

Description:

"The Yellowstone Caldera has erupted once every 600,000 years. We're 40,000 years overdue.”

Although David Dalglish wrote the majority of the stories in this collection, it also includes contributions from David McAfee, Daniel Arenson, John Fitch V, Michael Crane, and Robert Duperre.

Appraisal:

Start with the assumption that the Yellowstone Caldera has erupted. Assume people know what's coming - a large dust cloud traveling west to east that will kill many and throw much of the world into the equivalent of a nuclear winter. Then write a series of short stories about how people will react with contributions from a variety of writers. What a great concept.

Given the assumptions, how would you react? Would you hunker down and wait for the inevitable? Would you flee, hoping to outrun the cloud or at least prolong life as long as possible? Would you maximize the enjoyment of what little time you had left? The widely different characters in these stories cover a broad spectrum of possible reactions, yet with the overriding assumption as the glue A Land of Ash reads more like a novel than a short story anthology. An added bonus is the chance to be introduced to several new authors.

Format/Typo Issues:

I read this prior to starting the blog, however I believe there were very few, if any, issues at that time.

Friday, September 26, 2014

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Author:

The author
of three novels and two short story collections, Julie Frayn lives in Calgary,
Alberta where she’s a senior manager at a historical theme park. Her novel It isn’t Cheating if He’s Dead was the
top vote getter in the Chick-Lit/Women’s Fiction category of the 2014 BigAl’s
Books and Pals Readers’ Choice Awards.

“When Mazie
Reynolds was a young girl, she believed monsters lived under her bed. Now a grown,
married woman, she discovers one sleeps in her bed.

Mazie
schemes to save herself and her daughter. Her plan will work, if she can
out-maneuver the monster who is a master of manipulation and control. She’s got
one thing going for her, the one thing she truly owns. Mazie has moxie to the
bone. But will it be enough?”

Appraisal:

I liked Mazie Baby for several very different
reasons. The main one is the portrayal of living with an abusive husband. The
family dynamics between Mazie, her daughter, and husband rang true and gave me
insight into the difficulties someone in that situation has in surviving or
getting out. It made for some intense drama as does the story of what Mazie
finally does when she realizes the time has come for a change.

However, it
isn’t all unrelenting drama and vicarious stress for the reader, Mazie goes
through what I’ll describe as an adventure. Her next door neighbor, who helps Mazie
along the way, also provides a bit of comic relief. Just as with It isn’t Cheating if He’s Dead, another
of Frayn’s books I’ve read, I loved Frayn’s characters. They hit the right
balance between being realistic (not unlike people you know), and unique, so
you aren’t sure where they’re going to take the story. An excellent read.

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Author:

“Simone Beaudelaire is the pseudonym for a single mom and
teacher from Texas.

In her spare time, Mme Beaudelaire reads romances as fast
as she can get her hands on them, and when she isn't reading them, she's
writing them!” She also has several other published books listed on Amazon. For
more, visit her blog.

Edwin Stark was born in Caracas, Venezuela on the edge of a rain
forest in South America. He grew up dreaming crazy tales and eventually started
writing them down. English is not his first language. Mr. Stark has written
horror, satire, and short story collections, which are infused with his unique
style of humor. You can read more about him on his blog.

Description:

“In the jungles of Belize, an ancient power lurks, and
American grad student Rachael Monroe is about to come face to face with it. But
is it a monster from a long-dead culture, or something far more dangerous? And
who is Xaman, the mysterious local man Rachael finds so inexplicably
fascinating?

Seeking answers to these questions will lead Rachael
deeper into the heart of a centuries-old mystery that might reveal to her a
love that can surpass even death... or her own gruesome end.”

Appraisal:

This is a story of star-crossed lovers with a twist of paranormal. But
before we get to that part of the story we are transported to the depths of a
rainforest in Belize following Rachael Monroe, her fiancé Josh Randall, and
their guide, Alphonso Montoya, as they make their way through the jungle. We
are given an excellent introduction to their characters as well as the location
with the descriptive prose. I had no problem immersing myself into the scene.

Rachael is an independent, strong-minded woman who goes after what she
wants in life, Josh has invited himself along on this three month expedition to
chaperone her, which didn’t sit well with Rachael at all.
As unexpected events arose, Mayan mysticism and history were brought into play,
captivating my attention completely. The plot moves at a good pace as some
seedy characters are introduced and take the plot in unexpected directions, not
the least of which is the introduction of the devastatingly handsome and
mysterious Xaman.

When certain Mayan artifacts spark visions, memories, or dreams in
Rachael, she is a bit unnerved but interested in finding out what it all means.
Seeking the help of the local curandera, she has no idea what she is in for
when a whole new world from the past comes to light. Soon after, Josh’s true
role in the plot becomes evident. The authors have woven a fascinating tale
about past lives and fate surrounded by mysticism of the Jaguar Queen in the
Mayan jungle who felt slighted hundreds of years ago.

I think Mr. Stark’s and Ms. Beaudelaire writing styles and
storytelling meshed well. I hope to see some more collaborations between these
two in the future.

FYI:

Ms. Beaudelaire writes some steamy sex scenes which are explicit but
well written. These may not be suitable for some readers. I enjoyed them.

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I couldn’t find any information about
Margaret Forrest.

Description:

When Kate
Thomas finds a lump on her breast, she fears the worst. After all, her mother
died from breast cancer. The story follows Kate for twelve days as she
undergoes medical and personal tests triggered by her discovery.

Appraisal:

I was captivated by Kate’s personality: genuine, intelligent, necessarily
fearful (because of the lump), at times irreverent but also introspective. This
story could easily be non-fiction--an autobiographical description of how
Kate’s life turned upside down. Real or not, the author had me believing. At
times, I laughed aloud at Kate’s wry life observances. A few sentences later,
I’d be sharing her fear and approving of her seemingly irrational reaction to
how people treated her and her lump.

I read the story in one sitting. The prose is clean, crisp and engaging
throughout. Try this for a description of how Kate feels after taking her
mammogram: “I feel as though I’ve just boarded a train without knowing where
it’s taking me.” Ahhh, nice words.

The author illustrates her tale with a number of charming, poignant pencil
sketches. These images were a wonderful surprise, and they sucked me into the
story even more, adding a layer of humanity and personal detail that enriched
my reading experience.

I’ve recommended the story to my step-daughter (who recently recovered
from breast cancer) I know she’s going to empathize and laugh along with Kate. But
you don’t need any association with cancer to enjoy this book--highly
recommended.

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Author:

An author
of primarily mystery and suspense for adults, Ernie Lindsey has at least ten
novels and numerous short stories available. His book Sara’s Game was on the USA
Today bestseller list and reached #2 on the Kindle Bestseller list. A
native of the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, Lindsey and his family now
make their home in Oregon.

“The sudden
and unexpected arrival of a mysterious package interrupts Hat Tintersmoot’s
twelfth birthday. Where did it come from? Who left it? Once she discovers that
the small cardboard box is a gift from her Grandpa Gordon, the mystery
deepens...considering the fact that he passed away three years ago.

The
handwritten note reads, “Inside this box is an impossible mystery that only the
purest of hearts can ever hope to uncover. Solve it, and you will discover the
answer to one of the greatest secrets ever.”

It’s
another perfect job for the owner of The Marshmallow Hammer Detective Agency.
With the help of a new best friend, and her first official employee, Hat must
uncover the truth behind five difficult clues in order to find the answer to
the greatest secret ever.”

Appraisal:

Twelve
year-old Halcyone Acasia Tintersmoot, known as “Hat” (her initials and the
thing you wear on your head). She has this nickname for the obvious reason that
her real name is a mouthful. She’s the owner of “The Marshmallow Hammer
Detective Agency.” You won’t find it in the phone book, but it is as real as it
gets, at least to Hat. Although this is the first book in the series, Hat
mentions other cases she’s worked on and sometimes solved. “The Case of the Disappearing Toothbrush,” is
one. You’ve probably worked a case like that one yourself. “The Mysterious Case
of the Cute Boy on the School Bus” is an open case that Hat manages to solve
while working on the current case.

When I read
and review children’s books, I’ll sometimes draft The Princess, my now eleven
year-old granddaughter, to assist. Our process is for her to read a book first,
then tell me what she thought, with likes, dislikes, and a letter grade, just
like a report card. I’ll then read the book so I can add my impressions while
watching for the things The Princess has mentioned. I think The Mysterious Case of the Golden Egg
received the most accolades of any book we’ve done this with. Her report to me
started with “I liked this a lot” and ended with, “I’d give it a grade of A
plus, plus, plus …” I finally told her I got the idea so she’d stop with the
pluses.

The mystery
to be solved was set up by Hat’s grandfather, who died three years earlier.
Before he died, which he knew was coming, he’d arranged for Hat to receive the
first clue on her twelfth birthday. Grandpa Gordon was a private detective and
liked to talk to Hat about his cases, which was Hat’s inspiration to become a
detective. One of the comments The Princess made was that the mystery wasn’t
like some, where you found out the solution, and felt cheated that the clues
weren’t there to solve it while reading. She felt the clues were tough, but
also liked that many of them she was able to figure out. The mystery hit the
right balance for the age the book is aimed for. The Princess also thought the
book would be fun to read aloud to younger kids and although it would be an
easy read for an adult, she thought “even a grownup would like it.”

The Princess
was right. I was surprised at how much I liked this book. The clues were fun to
try and figure out, and not too easy, even for someone several times older than
the target reader. As Hat works her way through the clues she meets and helps
several of her Grandpa’s friends (an aspect of the book The Princess also
thought important enough to mention) and in doing so learns a lot of life
lessons that Grandpa knew he wouldn’t be around to teach her in person. The
Princess and I both hope the author continues this series. It’s off to a great
start.

“Meg Michaels, a bookstore owner, has already walked away
from two cheating exes. She’s learned her lesson and has her mind set on
success—until she gets knocked up. Embarrassed and unwilling to discuss her
situation with friends and family, she wears layers to hide the pregnancy.

When Meg gets sick at a party, she’s mortified. Even
worse, Theo Taylor, the guest of honor, discovers her secret. Theo, an Army
medic wounded in the war, agrees not to reveal her condition, and the two forge
a bond of friendship that blossoms into love.

Theo is soon filling all of Meg’s late-night cravings—and
not just the pregnancy-induced ones. But can their love overcome all the
obstacles that stand between them and creating a happy family?”

Appraisal:

Meg has dealt with so many disappointing relationship issues in her life
she has built a wall around her heart. She is plagued with abandonment issues
that started when her mom left her and her twin brother at a very young age and
continues with all the men she has ever had relationships with. When she ends
up pregnant with an ex-boyfriend’s baby, who was separated from his wife at the
time, her life spins out of control.

When Meg meets her best friend Ellie’s brother-in-law Theo, who has
just returned from Afghanistan minus one leg, an unconventional bond starts to
form between them. Theo is angry and bitter but trying to cope with his “new
life.” He refuses to be a burden to anyone and has a lot of admirable qualities
even though his rehab is not going smoothly. The dialogue between Meg and Theo
is realistic and genuine as their relationship develops into more than either
one of them bargained for.

The story is mostly told through Meg’s eyes as she deals with telling
everyone about her pregnancy and has to explain that the baby daddy is not her
ex-fiancé who she broke up with two or three months before. She is also dealing
with the real baby daddy, her own father who has left her stepmother (who Meg
never really bonded with), and running the family bookstore with her twin
brother. She also feels the maternal need to find her own mother to learn why
she abandoned her and her brother before they were two years old. There were a
lot of relationship dynamics explored is this novel. It was a huge undertaking
for a first time author to take on. I felt like the timeline didn’t quite work
out for me in a couple of places, mainly concerning the pregnancy, and this
threw me out of the story for a while.

Meg’s emotions were all over the place, which is normal, because of
the hormonal changes women’s bodies go through during a pregnancy. I loved this
quote from Meg during one of her inner dialogues giving herself a pep talk
while trying to control her emotional turmoil. “I wanted to know the pleasure
of someone holding me up. But maybe some of us were meant to hit the ground.
Otherwise we’d never learn to bounce. I
could bounce.”

Theo’s dialogue and actions had a way of melting my heart throughout
the story. He had to chisel his way into Meg’s heart. At one point when Meg
released all her fury at his actions, I feared for their relationship. However,
I was proud of Meg for finally owning and expressing her feelings. In my
opinion this should have led directly to the climax of the story. As it is… I
was left wanting with a certain unresolved story arc, which made the ending
feel rushed. I felt cheated that Ellie and Jake were not included at the end.
Ellie was an important friend that was there through the whole story. We shared
the drama with her pregnancy problems and celebrated her baby along with Meg’s when
they had a dual baby shower. I felt like this oversight was unforgivable and
took away a star.

When
You Make It Home, is an emotional rollercoaster. I have no doubt
that it will make you laugh, cry, and warm the coldest heart.

FYI:

I would consider this an Erotic Romance with adult sexual situations
that may not be suitable for all audiences.

Format/Typo
Issues:

I was given an Advanced Reader Copy. Other than the timeline issue I
found no significant editing or formatting issues.

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Author:

“Raised in Ohio, Alicia Bien received a Bachelor's Degree
in Literature and a Master's in English Linguistics. She is a Fulbright
Scholar, wine lover and comedy fan. While interning in the U.S. Senate, she saw
lots of funny things.

Drawing on life's humorous experiences, Alicia writes and
performs comedy. She studied sketch and improv at Second City, Hollywood and
the Upright Citizens Brigade.

“Do you like wine but don’t know anything about it except
it’s 1) Alcoholic and 2) Wet? Well, Alicia Bien is here to remedy that. Pronto!

Here's a collection of wine stories, the highs—and lows—of
Alicia’s own evolution as a wine drinker from novice to—many bottles later—an
expert wine bottle opener. These pages contain an alphabet’s worth of wine stories
from 'Drinking Alone' and 'How the Army Changed My Life’, to ‘Ullage Uvula, U
Know’ and ‘Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, Zip-A-Dee-Ay, My Oh My What a Zinfandel Day’.

So grab a bottle, sit back and enjoy. CHEERS!”

Appraisal:

Every now and then I have to step away from my fantasy diet and read
something… well, more down-to-earth. As
I was scanning the books submitted for review database, I came across Evolution of a Wine Drinker and thought,
“I like wine! Perhaps I could educate myself a little.” So I stepped outside of
my comfort zone to review a non-fiction novella, hoping some of the wine
culture will rub off on me. These are stories of Ms. Bien’s
experiences with wine, wine tasting, and vacations centered on wine regions. Bien
takes her wine very seriously and has taken the time to educate us novices on
the finer points of all things wine.

It all started in college (go figure) when she was looking for an
elective and her academic advisor pointed out a “wine tasting class” in the
catalog… She grinned. So begins Alicia Bien’s love of wine. She learned how to
hold each wine glass, judge a wine by its color, how swirling wine in the glass
aerates the wine to improve its flavor, and how to smell the wines to help your
taste buds better define and appreciate the flavors and nuances of a wine. She
studied grape varietals, wine growing regions of the world, and their
histories. In time her instructor managed to turn a college beer chugger into a
passionate wine drinker.

This book is full of short personal essays cleverly arranged from A-Z
which include humorous and educational stories from Ms. Bien’s adventures with
wine and wine country not only here in the states but around the world. Along
with stories about her friends and their own wine tasting club parties, which
almost convinced me to try hosting one. :) This book is a fast, pleasant read
that will leave a smile on your face. It may also make you feel a little more
confident in choosing your next bottle of wine. This review was written while
enjoying a glass of Belle, a sweet red wine from Red 55 Winery located in
Texas. Ha! See, I never would have checked that out if I hadn’t read this book!

This is a
world where sunshine can kill. Where there are heavy steel shutters on every
window, and underground tunnels for safe passage. Where citizens nourish
themselves with synthetic vitamins and rationed food, living a life in
darkness, never seeing the sun.

This is the
only world that eighteen-year-old Manda has ever known. As this strong,
passionate girl struggles to bloom in a hard and unforgiving world, she finds a
single comfort; Jordy, a man who delicately shows her how beautiful life can
be. But then the letter comes.”

Originally
published in 2012, the author did some revamping and republished it, hence the
subtitle “The Author’s Edition” on Amazon.

Appraisal:

This
long-ish short story or novelette has a love story as a significant story
thread, but the main story conflict is the protagonist Manda’s struggle living
in the world the author has imagined. It isn’t clear why, but with rare
exceptions, people are not exposed to the sun. Maybe the world is different due
to climate change. (The rarity of rain and shortage of water argues for this.)
Possibly it is due to government intervention for health reasons. Most likely a
combination of both. Avoiding the sun is possible through a change in habits
(most sleep during the day, with waking hours at night) and infrastructure
(blackout blinds and underground tunnels to get from place to place). A
thought-provoking story.

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